We ask her: How do you keep your shit together?
In an industry that revels—and sometimes even lives—on gossip and intrigue, it’s a rare sight to see a name that hasn’t been dragged through the streets of scandals and issues. Too often, infamy is a big enough reason to revive or ignite a career; it’s almost as if losing your shit makes you relevant.
We’re not saying that Jasmine Curtis-Smith has a halo on her; she’s had her fair share of rumored news, too—but the point is that they never define (or follow) her or her career. The truth is, you might have already forgotten those few and far between instances when her name made gossip headlines. After all, to an outsider who’s looking in, the 25-year-old is practically “proper” personified; she’s always poised and always seemingly put-together.
The irony is that for the years that marked the start of her public life, Jasmine Curtis-Smith—for all intents and purposes—did not have her shit together.
Lilac blazer, YVES CAMINGUE, red silk slip dress, ETAM, polka dot pleated skirt, C/MEO COLLECTIVE, knuckle rings, PARFOIS, transparent single-strap sandal, GIBI
“Maybe if I heard a little less [advice], I would have been a more established individual on my own.”
Lace dress, SAINTE MARION, oversized blazer, OFF WHITE
When she was 11 years old, Jasmine moved to Australia with her family, and it wasn’t until she was 18 that she was finally able to return to Philippine shores. It’s early on in our interview—though it was late in the midweek afternoon—when she admits coming back home was the plan; Australia was never going to be permanent.
As logistically temporary as it was, Jasmine admits she spent her “core years” there. To this day, their Christmas lunches, attended by everyone from immediate family members to cousins to in-laws, is her favorite holiday tradition. “There was this separation of worlds,” she describes, nostalgically reminiscing about how those lunches always extended themselves to dinner. “You kind of lived in a dream-like state.”
While a comforting thought, a dream is never reality and Jasmine had some real things to figure out. She was balancing between two countries, one that held her childhood and another that was holding her formative years. And during this balancing act, she had to find her own voice amidst the everyone else’s opinion of where she should live, what she should do and who she should be.
Tie-dye dress, TIE DIET, yellow sheer dress, CON CORDETA, cropped blazer, MAISON SORIANO, strappy sandals, GIBI
Don’t get us wrong; Jasmine was and is grateful for all the help that she’s been given—but you know what they say about having too many cooks in the kitchen; it spoils the brew.
“Maybe I was just over-guided, to a point that I couldn’t even make a decision anymore,” she recalls without delivering an ounce of blame. “Maybe if I heard a little less [advice], I would have been a more established individual on my own.”
It’s safe to say now that Jasmine has since found her own way. Amidst all the voices and all the differing opinions and the monster of a shadow that she had to overcome, she’s grown into herself. Just look at her.
Videography and Editing MV Isip
When we ask her to think back 10 years ago, she quips that she was always the type to speak her mind and give her piece—not so much unlike the woman that she is now. But as she explains further, the decade that has since passed (and the time she has spent in the public eye) becomes apparent.
She describes it as a little less unforgiving. “I’m a bit more cautious. I’m a bit more hyper-aware and anxious about making sure I make a stand for something,” she explains. And when we ask her why the shift to caution and anxiety, she offers an explanation that encapsulates a society that’s a little too nitpicky, sometimes too meticulous and—we’re saying it—often too sensitive:
“The world has changed and people have changed.
[There’s a] smaller chance to speak up without being interrupted or being picked at bit by bit.”
It’s at this moment that we point out the obvious: On social media, Jasmine Curtis-Smith seems like a lady that has her shit together. She shares bits of her life, speaks out about her advocacies and shares the occasional product endorsement. It sounds, to the rest of us, like a perfect equation, like a well-oiled machine that just keeps running. But nothing could be further from the truth.
As Jasmine shares, having the responsibility to share and engage and keep up morale isn’t an easy task. It’s daunting and the pressure is on for a woman like her. When the days go on and she knows she hasn’t posted, the anxiety comes back. When the days have passed and the photo or statement is still being seen and read, the anxiety stays.
Does this paint a picture of a woman who has her bearings in order? Perhaps not. But whatever your opinion, our hats are off to our November cover girl, still—and we’re happy she gives herself the credit she deserves.
“On most days, yeah [I consider myself put-together],” she states. “I like to be on time, I like to have my things organized. If I can do it on my own, I’d rather do it. It makes me feel whole and put-together.”
“The world has changed…[There’s a] smaller chance to speak up without being interrupted or being picked at bit by bit.”
But what happens when you don’t feel put-together? How do you keep going on the days that just don’t want to keep going? Is it possible to give your all when you feel like you have nothing left to give? What happens then?
“I think it’s important to guard yourself from being seen from sweating the small stuff—or maybe even the bigger stuff,” explains Jasmine. “But it’s also good to communicate when you are struggling or when you are unsure or even panicking when things are too much.”
And let’s face it: When you have a schedule like hers, things are bound to get too much.
It’s already been a big year for her and yet, with less than two months left in 2019, Jasmine isn’t slowing down.
She’s been working on five films, one of which, a thriller entitled Midnight In A Perfect World, has her starring alongside Glaiza de Castro, Dino Pastrano and Anthony Falcon. Set sometime in the future, the story follows a group of friends as they try to navigate themselves away from the forces that are following them. Considering Jasmine’s body of work, there just really seems to be no limit for this girl—and yes, we also mean her upcoming record label with the names behind Karpos Multimedia (Wanderland, anyone?) and hotel business with boyfriend Jeff Ortega.
We can’t all be Jasmine Curtis-Smith, that much is certain, but we can take a few cues from one of the women that’s clearly capable of steering her life, direction and passion. “I turn to myself,” she says, when we ask how she keeps her head on straight. “I process a lot on my own.” This said, she continues on to give airtime to the support system that she’s learned to trust as well: her management, her family, the individuals that she loves most.
This is the month that we say: Get Your Shit Together—which, as we turn the corner to a new year, might sound like a tall order (maybe an even insurmountable task). But here’s some advice we got from Jasmine in those few hours we had with her: find people you trust, take it one day at a time and always—always—have your own back.
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Photography Shaira Luna
Art and Art Direction Alexandra Lara
Interview and Cover Story Adie Pieraz
Fashion Direction and Styling Nicole Blanco Ramos
Beauty Direction Cessi Treñas
Makeup John Pagaduan
Hair Kierlo Velasco
Production Wonder
Location Chroma Studio
